Saturday, April 23, 2016

Writing on Deadline

By June Shaw

I've never had to write a book with a deadline from a publisher, I recently realized and wish I'd had that experience.

Many writers today put out two or three or even more books a year. How can they? I can't imagine doing that--but then, I don't write quickly.I could. I have the time now--something I thought I never would say--but somehow I don't get the words down too much faster than when I was teaching.

Okay, that's not true. I write more now that I am retired and my five children have grown and left home. Thank goodness, they're not far away.

It's just that I'm not certain what I'll be writing now that I ended one mystery series and wrote standalones in other genres and now I'll write to contract with a different series and publisher. And this one has given me deadlines to meet. They like the first book and the brief synopses I came up with for the next two.

I told the editor I didn't write fast and suggested when I could probably have the next ones done. To have more time to advertise, they suggested alternate dates. I agreed. Now I'm concerned. But I guess instead of keeping my fingers crossed that I'll get book two finished in time, I should get those fingers hitting on keys.

1 comment:

I'm sure you'll manage it, June. I find that the closer the deadline looms, the more it forces me to focus on the task and... well, just do it. I'm a dreadful procrastinator so I suppose what happens is that I put it off until there's just no more time left to indulge myself. Scary but exhilarating, too. Good luck.